Traditional Dietary Cultures Of The Japanese
和 食Traditional Dietary Cultures of the JapaneseItadaki-masu
WASHOKU - cultures that should be preservedWhat exactly is WASHOKU? Maybe even Japanese people haven’t thought seriously about it very much. Typical washokuat home is usually comprised of cooked rice, miso soup, some main and side dishes and pickles. A set menu of grilled fishat a downtown diner is also a type of washoku. Recipes using cooked rice as the main ingredient such as curry and rice orsushi should also be considered as a type of washoku. Of course, washoku includes some noodle and mochi dishes. Theworld of traditional washoku is extensive.In the first place, the term WASHOKU does not refer solely to a dish or a cuisine. For instance, let’s take a look at osechiryori, a set of traditional dishes for New Year. The dishes are prepared to celebrate the coming of the new year, and witha wish to be able to spend the coming year soundly and happily. In other words, the religion and the mindset of Japanesepeople are expressed in osechi-ryori, otoso (rice wine for New Year) and ozohni (soup with mochi), as well as the ambienceof the people sitting around the table with these dishes.Food culture has been developed with the background of the natural environment surrounding people and culture that isunique to the country or the region.The Japanese archipelago runs widely north and south, surrounded by sea. 75% of the national land is mountainousareas. Under the monsoonal climate, the four seasons show distinct differences. The average annual precipitation is as highas 1800mm. In such natural environment, the people are obtaining the wealth of seasonal foodstuff from the sea, mountainsand fields. Japanese people respect and live with nature, which brings such blessings to people’s lives. With belief in deitiesand ancestors, combined with foods, a unique food culture has been developed in this land.Food culture in Japan has been developed by also incorporating foreign cultures from China, Korean Peninsula andSoutheast Asia, and from West European countries in the modern era. As a result, delicious and healthy WASHOKU thatJapan can boast to the world developed.However, such tradition of WASHOKU is now disappearing from Japanese tables. While WASHOKU had been developedby using foodstuff grown in Japan, the food self-sufficiency ratio of Japan is now lower than 40%. Household consumption ofrice is decreasing, and traditional local cuisines and dishes specially prepared for certain events are also disappearing.In its long history, Japan has developed WASHOKU as something beyond mere cuisine but culture. Let us explore thehistory of WASHOKU, the traditional food culture in Japan, in this booklet.
WASHOKUCONTENTS01[Prologue] WASHOKU – cultures that should be preserved03[What is WASHOKU?] Foodstuff, dishes, nutrition and hospitality; the occasion and style of eatingare also important elements of WASHOKU05The reason why WASHOKU is a part of Japanese culture07[(1) Respect for nature] WASHOKU started from respecting nature and has continued to the present09[(2) Uniting family and region] Gathering to connect ties among people; role of foods for events andfestivals11[(3) Wish for health and longevity] Wish for health and longevity with dishes for special occasions13[(4) Diversity of WASHOKU] The climate generated diversity, depicting the map of WASHOKU15[Chronological table of WASHOKU] The road WASHOKU takesCharacteristics of WASHOKU17[(1) Menu structure] Soup and dishes are for eating cooked rice. “One soup and three dishes” is thebasic style of washoku19[(2) Foodstuff] Foodstuff at the base of washoku; The secret of deliciousness and diversity21[(3) Cooking] Cut, stew, grill, steam, boil, dress, deep-fry.Arrange the foodstuff this way and that to make it even tastier.23[(4) Flavor] Umami, the greatest wisdom discovered by Japanese people to “eat deliciously”25[(5) Nutrition] WASHOKU is the ideal model of nutritional balance27[(6) Arrangement] Mindset and formality of welcoming people28[(7) Chopsticks and bowls] Chopsticks and bowls that support WASHOKU29[(8) Sake] Japanese sake that accentuates the appeal of WASHOKU and relaxes your mind30[(9) Japanese sweets and Japanese tea] Wagashi (Japanese sweets) and tea that are close topeople’s lives31[Necessity of dietary education] WASHOKU is now endangered. How can we hand it down to futuregenerations?34[Epilogue] The future of WASHOKU[Editorial Committee] Principal: Isao Kumakura; Committee members: Ayako Ehara, HirokoOkubo, Takuya Oikawa; Advisor: Shigeyuki Miyata; Edited by: Magazine House, Ltd.; Artdirection and design: Kaori Okamura; Cover illustration: Kawanakayukari (tento)Translation; MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)* In this booklet, the traditional dietary culture of Japan is expressed as WASHOKU, anddishes with such tradition are expressed as washoku.2
FoodstuffFoodstuff used in WASHOKU includes grains (mainly rice),vegetables, mushrooms, fish, shellfish and seaweed. Deliciouswagyu beef is also used in recent years. There are two types ofrice: non-glutinous rice and glutinous rice. The variety of vegetablesranges widely from indigenous varieties to Western vegetables thatarrived in the Meiji period and thereafter. Fish is also an abundantfoodstuff, and there are as many as about 4,200 varieties of fisharound Japan.DishesThe basic structure of WASHOKU is “one soup and threedishes other than cooked rice.” Such structure comprisesdishes that take full advantage of the deliciousness of theingredients themselves. The key for every dish is dashi (stock).It may be prepared from kombu (dried kelp) or katsuobushi(dried bonito), or by cooking ingredients for a certain time.Deliciously prepared dishes are served in beautiful style.What is WASHOKU?Foodstuff, dishes, nutrients and hospitality; the occasion and style ofeating are also important elements of WASHOKUWASHOKU starts from selecting foodstuff. Then, the menu is composed by taking nutrition into consideration. Then, the dishes are served with amind of hospitality. How to eat the dishes is also an important element.WASHOKU. We use the term as a word expressing Japanese-style cuisine.However, does the term WASHOKU merely represent a single style of cuisine?For example, “itadaki-masu” and “gochisou-sama,” the phrases JapaneseWASHOKU is constantly changing over time.people say before and after meals, respectively, express thanks to not only theThe basic structure of WASHOKU is “one soup and three dishes,” whichperson who prepared the meal, but also to nature in which the foodstuff wasmeans eating cooked rice with side dishes, soup and pickles. This is a stylegrown, and to our ancestors and deities who preserved such nature.developed to eat rice, the staple food, deliciously. It also generated theAlso, we pay attention not only to the dishes prepared but also the cookingmethod, the menu structure, plates and bowls used, and how the dishes areserved on the table and how they are eaten. These also reflect the feeling andstyle unique to Japanese people.In such context, WASHOKU refers not only to cuisine, but also to Japanesecustoms related to eating.3the word as a collective term for the traditional dietary cultures of Japan.characteristic style of combining cooked rice and other dishes and tasting themat the same time in the mouth.While WASHOKU had been inherited based on this style, it has been activelyincorporating foodstuff, recipes and cooking methods from abroad and hasbeen changing its content.With the active introduction of Western culture in the Meiji period, WASHOKUAll tangible and intangible assets, including the wisdom and customs ofexperienced a further change. The taboo against eating meat was dissolved,eating that were generated and built by Japanese people, or the people whoresulting in the invention of various Western-style Japanese dishes such ascreated such assets, are included in the concept of WASHOKU. Let’s recognizenikujaga (stewed potatoes and meat seasoned with soy sauce), sukiyaki, curryWA S H O K U
NutritionTraditional washoku that is low in animal fat ensuresthe necessary energy for living and an ideal nutritionalbalance for healthy life, including staple food and sidedishes. Eating the main staple food and side dishesalternately, harmonizing the tastes within one’s mouth, is aunique style of eating for washoku. By prioritizing umami,salt content and calories can be effectively controlled.HospitalityMotenashi, the Japanese concept of hospitality, is not merelya service offered from the host to the guest. It also includesthe entire attitude of people who eat at the table. For example,the hospitality of the host expressed in the decoration of thespace for eating, or various ideas incorporated in dishesand plates, will be rewarded when the guests notice them.Precisely, WASHOKU is the representative culture of Japan.and rice and tonkatsu (Japanese-style cutlet). These are some of the newconsumption volume of fish is about 57kg per person, which is about twice thattraditions of WASHOKU.of the U.S. and 6th in the world. It shows that the blessings from the sea areNowadays, the dietary life of Japanese people is changing at animportant foodstuff for washoku.unprecedented speed. The style of cuisine has diversified through changesThe second element is dishes. Cooking methods capitalizing on abundantsuch as westernization, while handing down the culture of WASHOKU iswater resources such as steaming, boiling and stewing, cooking utensils suchdiminishing due to an increase of people who are indifferent to what they eat,as Japanese kitchen knives that are suitable for processing various types ofor a decrease of occasions for cooking and eating at home.fish, and dashi stock improved so as to prepare delicious meals mainly usingFor this reason, it may be the time for us to reconsider what WASHOKU is.What are the four elements comprising WASHOKU?Now, what elements comprise WASHOKU?vegetables and seafood, are the pillars of WASHOKU dishes.The third is nutrition. Washoku is relatively low-calorie and allows the easyintake of different nutrients in a well-balanced manner.And the fourth is hospitality. The mindset of greeting guests with utmost careThe first is foodstuff. In Japan, the four seasons are distinctive, and theis not merely a service for guests. By tasting the dishes and appreciating theclimate is temperate and rainy. Agricultural products harvested in suchdecorations of alcoves or tableware used, the guests also reward the host.climate are wide in variety, including rice, vegetables, edible wild plants and“Itadaki-masu” and “gochisou-sama” are both words of thanks before andmushrooms.after eating, respectively, and it also makes those offering the hospitality feelJapan is also surrounded by productive fishing ground, where the Japansatisfied as well.Current and the Oyashio Current collide. An abundant variety of fish is hauledThe manner of using chopsticks, the people’s behavior, decoration thatfrom sea, and various local fish-eating cultures were developed. While 90%expresses the season and feeling, and the attitude of appreciating them.theof fishery yields in Norway, which is also a major fisheries country, comprisesidea of understanding the manners and the intention of preparing the eatingonly eight varieties of fish, that of Japan comprises as many as 28 varieties.place, and the feeling of caring for one another, is the spirit of WASHOKU.This fact shows how abundant the variety of fish in Japan is. The annual4
Living with nature: “Aenokoto” in Oku-NotoThe reason whyWASHOKU, developed in life withnature, is a part of Japanese cultureJapanese people lived with nature that shows different aspects byregion and by season, and developed various different styles of dietaryculture.Let us look for the reason why WASHOKU is a part of the culture.Nature not only brings blessings, but also shows harshness to people. TheThe tradition of “Aenokoto” is inherited in the Oku-Noto Region of IshikawaPrefecture (such as Wajima City, Suzu City, Anamizu Town and Noto Town).The ritual invites the deities of rice paddies inside the house, and lets them staythere from December to the next February until the coming of spring. The deitiesof rice paddies are husband and wife. Therefore, the tradition prepares two setsof utensils used for the ceremony, including divine tables with dishes, gobletsand chopsticks. People welcome the deities with the foodstuff harvested in thenearby region. The dishes offered to the deities include rice cooked with adzukibeans, cod soup, daikon radish, fish and amazake (sweet fermented rice wine).These dishes are given to children after the ceremony. It is one of the ImportantIntangible Folk Cultural Properties designated by the Japanese government,and is also included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.lifestyle of Japanese people used to be deeply linked to nature, by accepting theenvironment in terms of geography or climate.people eating the blessings of nature together. WASHOKU plays the role of the1. Spiritual nature of WASHOKUcornerstone of society, through family get-togethers, community gatherings andBack in the days when science and technology were not developed as isnow, nature existed overwhelmingly over humans. People felt the existence of3. Functional nature of WASHOKUdeities in such nature, and prayed for large hauls and good harvests. The joyNaturally, food also has the functional nature of providing the stuff ofand thankfulness of harvests developed into the form of festivals. The lifestylepeople’s life. WASHOKU, which uses abundant natural blessings such as rice,nurtured the spiritual nature of respecting nature that brings blessings in thevegetables, seafood and seaweed, also represents a healthy dietary culture withform of food.amazing nutritional balance. In addition, the dishes for celebration also have the2. Social nature of WASHOKU“function” of wishing for health and longevity.Everyday household tables, celebrations, festivals and annual functionsin the communities of villages and towns-WASHOKU has been inherited by5other parties.WA S H O K U4. The regional nature of WASHOKUWASHOKU differs widely among regions. Because geography and climate
The reason whyLiving with nature: In the case of Aomori PrefectureWinter-dryingFamily get-together1.2.KenoshiruMizu with kombu stock3.4.1. Spiritual nature2. Social natureIn this region, the entire familycooperates to make “winter-drieddaikon radish” for a whole winter.Daikon radish is boiled, immersedin clear icy water, and then driedin cold winter wind. The processis the wisdom of life developedwith the spirit of living with nature,capitalizing on the cold weather,rather than trying to resist the coldwinters.In Sai Village, located at the tip ofShimokita Peninsula and with apopulation of about 2,500, holds theYanonemori Hachimangu Festival everySeptember. During the three days of thefestival, all houses keep the doors open,and welcome any guests and have drinkstogether. Deities visits all the places inthe village during these three days, andpeople share the table and strengthenthe bonds among them.3. Functional natureKenoshiru is a soup in the Tsugaru regionthat is prepared for the 15th of Januaryas another new year ’s celebration, asa replacement of nanakusa-gayu (riceporridge with seven spring herbs) in otherregions. Because the common springherbs cannot be harvested in Aomori inwinter, the dish uses root vegetables suchas daikon radish and carrots, edible wildplants such as warabi and zenmai, andpreserved foods such as freeze-dried tofu,to brighten up the New Year table in theharsh winter. The dish is prepared with thewish for maintaining health and soundness.varies widely throughout Japan, much-diversified dietary culture had beendeveloped among different regions. From Hokkaido to Okinawa, each regionsupplied the needs within the region, and was developing original dietary cultureup to the early modern period. In other words, WASHOKU is the symbol ofregional culture in Japan.4. Regional natureMizu is a type of edible wild plantgrowing throughout the Tohoku Region.This dish is prepared by boiling mizuto remove scum, and immersing it inkombu stock together with steamedhorned turban. It is interesting thatblessings from the mountain andsea coexist in a single dish. It is atraditional dish for the Nishi-TsugaruRegion, where the distance of the seaand mountain is close, which combinesthe wealth of both mountain and sea inthe same dish.deities.Another example is the dietary culture in Sai Village located in ShimokitaPeninsula of Aomori Prefecture.The dietary habit of using many preserved foods made of vegetables andedible wild plants was developed, and the tradition has been well-preservedLet us take a look at “Aenokoto,” a ritual inherited in Oku-Noto, Ishikawauntil now, with the unique traditional dishes being inherited. Osechi-ryori (newPrefecture. This is an agricultural rite to thank the deities of rice paddies for theyear dishes) unique to the region is enjoyed at New Year’s, wishing for healthharvest of the year.and soundness.“Ae” means “hospitality,” and “koto” means “festival.” From winter to spring,the deities of rice paddies are invited and welcomed into the house. AbundantThese examples show that a lifestyle of living with nature developed uniquedishes and dietary habits in different regions in Japan, making up WASHOKU.blessings from the mountain, sea and fields of Noto Region are offered to the6
(1) Respect for natureWASHOKU started from respecting natureand has continued to the present.WASHOKU, supported by plentiful nature, especially clear water, blessed with rich foodstuff,and methods of cooking, utensils, and arrangement were developed.That is why WASHOKU allows us to feel the seasons and reminds us of respecting nature.Somei No Ido in Nashi No Ki Jinja Shrinein Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, is a spring thatis familiarly known to local residents for itsgood-quality water. In every region in Japan,people were blessed not only with river waterbut also water from springs and wells, andlived thanks to such water.7WA S H O K U
(1) Respect for natureTofuFukiyose TofuUtilizing good-quality waterTofu, a food solidifying soy beancurd with a coagulating agent, hasbeen widely eaten from ancienttimes. Tofu made in Japan is uniquewith its high content of water andsoftness. Because it is a blandtasting food, the taste dependslargely on the good quality of waterused in the preparation process. FukiyoseExpressing seasonal feelingsWASHOKU takes in the feelings ofthe season in various styles. Thedish called fukiyose expresses ascene in autumn where seasonalvegetables, ginkgo nuts andmushrooms all drift with wind insidea basket works.WanmonoWasabi WanmonoUsing wood materialsSoups are usually served in woodenbowls. Lacquerware made bywrapping cloths over a thinly-carvedwooden core and finished withlacquer has been used throughoutJapan. Because it is made of wood,it can be held in the hand withoutfeeling the heat even if it containsboiling-hot soup inside. WasabiFunctionality of natureWasabi is a familiar relish forsashimi. Its stinging spicinessis caused by a volatilechemical substance called allylisothiocyanate, which has strongantibacterial and sterilizing activities.Therefore, it is effectively used wheneating raw fish. It is wisdom peculiarto WASHOKU, fully utilizing theefficacy of natural products.In Japan, where people are blessed with rich products of nature, a mentality toworship and respect nature has been developed from ancient days. Festivals towish for good harvests and large hauls for each season held throughout Japanexpress such mentality.standards: the content of calcium and magnesium is 120mg/L or less), whichhas a large impact on WASHOKU.Cooking methods using mild-tasting and mellow soft water abundantly, anddishes accentuating the natural taste of the foodstuff itself, were developed.Spring, summ
Food culture in Japan has been developed by also incorporating foreign cultures from China, Korean Peninsula and Southeast Asia, and from West European countries in the modern era. As a result, delicious and healthy WASHOKU that Japan can boast to the world developed. However, such tradition of WASHOKU is now disappearing from Japanese tables.
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Le genou de Lucy. Odile Jacob. 1999. Coppens Y. Pré-textes. L’homme préhistorique en morceaux. Eds Odile Jacob. 2011. Costentin J., Delaveau P. Café, thé, chocolat, les bons effets sur le cerveau et pour le corps. Editions Odile Jacob. 2010. Crawford M., Marsh D. The driving force : food in human evolution and the future.
Le genou de Lucy. Odile Jacob. 1999. Coppens Y. Pré-textes. L’homme préhistorique en morceaux. Eds Odile Jacob. 2011. Costentin J., Delaveau P. Café, thé, chocolat, les bons effets sur le cerveau et pour le corps. Editions Odile Jacob. 2010. 3 Crawford M., Marsh D. The driving force : food in human evolution and the future.
